Follower for barrels, pickle-jars, &amp;c.



No. 805,120. PQATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

- M. GRIPPEN.

FOLLOWER. FOR BARRBLS, PICKLE JARS, 8w.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 6, 1905.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOLLOWER FOR BARRELS, PICKLE-JARS, 81.0.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed April 6, 1905. Serial No. 254,245.

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be-it known that I, l\ IARTIN ORIPPEN, a citi- Zen ofthe United States,residing at Olyphant, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFollowers for Barrels, Pickle-Jars, &c.; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to that class of device employed inpickle-jars and barrels of salt meat or kraut-barrels for holding thesolid contents or articles to be pickled down beneath the surface of thebrine or other liquid.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple inexpensive form ofdevice capable of use on practically all-kinds of vessels, such as areused for preserving, pickling, or storing articles of the classesmentioned, which device shall be of such construction that the followermay be readily adjusted and held at any desired level in the vessel andat the same time be easily released and moved by one hand withoutrequiring the manipulation of catches,

set-screws, &c.

Primarily the invention consists in a crosspiece adapted to be engagedwith the edges of the open end of the vessel in such manner as to resistupward movement, said cross-piece being provided centrally with a recessor opensidedslot adapted to cooperate with any one of a series ofrecesses and projections formed on the rod of a suitable follower.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be nowdescribed, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a pickle-jar equipped with devices embodying the presentimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same. Fig. 8 is aplan view of the plunger. Fig. 4 is a perspective view corresponding toFig. 1, but showing the application of the invention to a barrel. Fig. 5is a detail View of the retaining hoop or ring preferably employed inconnection with a barrel or vessel having no bead or rim at the mouth.Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a retaining cross-piece. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a modified form of retaining crosspiece.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate like parts.

The pickle-jar A of Figs. 1 and 2 and the barrel B of Fig. A are both ofordinary or preferred types, the jar A being, as usual, provided with ahead or projecting rim (6 at the month. In accordance with the presentinvention I provide a retaining cross-piece C, which may be a simplestrip of metal or a light casting, and in order to secure the same tothe mouth of the vessel with a suflicient firmness the ends of thecross-piece are made hook-shaped at 0, so as to pass around and engagethe under side of the lip or rim (4. Gentrally of the cross-piece it isformed with a deep recess or open-sided slot, as at D, Fig. 6, the widthof the notch or slot being such that a plunger-stem E may readily enterthe same, but be held against longitudinal movement therein by suitableprojections on the stem. In the preferred construction the plunger-stemE is provided with a series of annular recesses e and intermediateprojections e, the recesses and projections extending throughout asufficient length of the stem to provide for the desired range ofadjustment. The stem itself is preferably made of wood, as is also theplunger carried by it, no metallic connections being employed, inasmuchas metallic parts would be undesirable where the device is used as aretainer with certain kinds of liquid.

As a convenient means of forming and uniting the several partsconstituting the follower and stem the said follower F is of hardwood,with suitable apertures f therethrough, and extending transversely ofthe grain of the wood is a dovetail wedge-shaped key F, which key willserve to hold the follower against warping and at the same time willincrease its thickness at the center, so as to afford a firm base forthe attachment of the stem. The stem is attached by having its reducedend E passed through or driven into registering apertures in the key Fand follower F. Thus each serves to retain the other in place, and theconnection may be made more secure, if so desired, by suitable wedgesdriven in the end of the stem, as is usual in attaching handles to toolsof various kinds.

The retaining cross-piece C may, if desired, be provided with astrengthening flange or rib C, and this flange or rib may extend onlythroughout the central portion of the crosspiece, where it is weakenedby the cutting of the slot or recess D, or it may extend throughout thelength of the cross-piece, if so desired.

WVhen the device is intended for usein connection with a barrel or otherreceptaclehaving no lip or bead near its open end, a hoop or removablebead H, Figs. 4 and 5, may be provided, and this hoop or removable beadH is preferably formed of iron round in crosssection and with its endsadjustably connected together, as by a bolt 72 thus adapting the de vicefor use on receptacles of different size and at the same time providinga means whereby it may be firmly clamped in position so as to permit ofthe ready engagement of the cross-piece therewith.

The device described, it will be noted, is extremely simple and may beso cheaply and easily constructed that all of the desired sizes may beprovided without material expense.

.Thus a merchant may keep on hand sizes adapted for all ordinaryvessels.

The device is particularly convenient inasmuch as the follower and itsstem constitute the only parts which need be lifted by those using thedevices, and, furthermore, the user may with one hand disengage thefollower from the cross-piece and lift it to the top of the vessel, soas to give access to the vessel for the insertion or removal ofmaterial. As in these manipulations one hand only is necessary, theother hand is left free for use in handling the material or articles tobe removed or placed in the receptacle.

In the modification Fig. 7 a means is shown whereby the cross-piece maybe adapted to vessels of various sizes, for which purpose the ends ofsaid cross-piece are made round and screw-tln'eaded, as at S, for thereception of nuts S, having at one side hook-shaped projections S,adapted to take under the bead or lip of the vessel. As a convenientconstruction the body of the cross-piece may be formed of iron rodhaving a semicircular bend T at the center and a spider-arm z, adaptedto rest on the far side of the receptacle, so as to prevent thecrosspicce from rotating with the ends of the rod as an axis. A circularplate U may be secured centrally to the body of the cross-piece, and therecess or open-sided slot for the reception of the plunger-stem may beformed in this circular plate, all as illustrated 'in the figure of thedrawings last above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1'. The combination with a receptacle, a cross-piece arranged across thetop thereof and having a central recess or open-sided slot extendinginto the cross-piece from one side, and means whereby saidcross-piecemay be secured to the mouth of the receptacle to resistupward movement, of a follower and a stem on said follower having aseries of projections of greater width than the slot and a series ofrecesses of lesswidth, adapted to cooperate with the slot or recess inthe crosspiece whereby the follower will beheld against longitudinalmovement through the slot or recess in the cross-bar;substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a receptacle, a cross-piece arranged across thetop thereof, said cross-piece having a central recess or open-sided slotextending into the cross-piece from one side and means whereby saidcross piece may be secured to the'mouth of the receptacle to resistupward movement, of a follower located in the receptacle and afollower-stem having alternately-arranged annular grooves andprojections, said projections being of greater Width than the slotin thecross-piece and the recesses of less width, whereby the follower will beheld against longitudinal movement, through the slot or recess;substantially as described.

3. In a device such as described the'combination with the followerformed'of wood and the dovetail key having a uniform taper from end toend, extending across the grain of the wood and which extends above thesurface of the follower, whereby the thickness of the follower isincreased at the center, of the follower-stem mounted in registeringopenings in the key and follower and means for holding the followeragainst longitudinal movement; substantially as described.

MARTIN CRIPPEN.

it-messes:

THOMAS DURANT, ALEXANDER S. STEWART.

